I was about to throw out this old dining chair that had a snapped leg, but then I remembered I had a bag of wooden dowels from a project two years ago. I drilled a hole in both broken pieces, put some super glue on a 4 inch dowel, and jammed it in there. After clamping it overnight, the leg is solid as a rock and didn't cost me a dime. I did this last Tuesday and it's held up through a week of dinner use. Has anyone else tried using dowels for repairs like this, or do you have a better trick for fixing snapped wood?
Used to just throw stuff away when it broke, but the hinge on this lamp snapped and I had no cash for a new one. Bent a paperclip into a U-shape, glued it over the crack, and it's held for 3 weeks now. Anyone else tried this kind of fix on plastic parts?
I figured duct tape was overkill so I used electrical tape on my shop vac hose crack, and it just peeled right off on the first bend. Has anyone else learned the hard way that some fixes really do need the specific stuff?
Everyone says you need to buy a whole new adjustment assembly when the lever snaps... but I tried bending a paperclip into a tiny hook and wedging it into the broken plastic slot. It took like 10 minutes and some pliers from my toolbox. That was 6 months ago and the lever still clicks into place on carpet and hardwood just fine. My neighbor laughed when I showed him, but he's already asked me to fix his too. Why waste $30 on a replacement part if a paperclip can do the job? Has anyone else lucked out with office supplies for appliance repairs?
Spent 2 hours yesterday re-wrapping a leaky copper pipe under my sink after the duct tape I used first just slid off when it got wet. Then I grabbed some old bicycle inner tube strips I had in the garage and zip ties from an old computer case, and that held tight through 4 test flushes. Has anyone else found a better use for random rubber bits than the obvious tape fix?
My kitchen drawer wouldn't close flush for three weeks, so I finally pulled it out to find the plastic glide nub had snapped off. I ended up bending a paperclip into a U-shape, drilling a pilot hole through the remaining plastic, and using it as a makeshift anchor. Anybody else waste a whole afternoon on something that should have been a 10 minute job?
My kitchen chair snapped at the joint last week and I grabbed the super glue first since it was right there. Held for about a day before it popped loose again. Then I used some old wood glue I had from a 2019 project, clamped it with a belt, and it's been solid for three days now, no wobble. Anyone else find super glue is just a tease for stuff that actually bears weight?
My toilet tank got a hairline crack last month and I figured a few layers of duct tape would hold it. I wrapped it tight, let it sit for a day, and it held water for about 72 hours before dripping down the side again. After that fail I tried plumber's epoxy from an old tube in my garage and it's been dry for two weeks now. So is duct tape just overrated for any wet job, or did I use the wrong brand? Anyone else had better luck with tape on plumbing?
My fridge shelf cracked right down the middle last week and I was about to spend $40 on a replacement. I grabbed a few thick zip ties from my junk drawer, drilled tiny holes on each side of the crack, and threaded them through like stitches. Then I tightened them up on the bottom side so the top stays flat for cans and stuff. Has anyone else tried this instead of buying new shelves?
I tried fixing a cracked handle on my big Maglite last week with electrical tape (the cheap black kind). But after two days it got all gooey and slid off. My neighbor Dave saw me redoing it and said I should use hockey tape instead because it stays tacky even when wet. I stripped off the sticky mess and wrapped it with old hockey tape from my garage. Now it feels solid and grippy, has anyone else had luck swapping tape types for grip fixes?
I was doing dishes last Thursday in my Riverside apartment when the hot water handle just broke clean off in my hand. The plastic inside had gotten brittle over time so it snapped right at the base. I didn't want to buy a whole new faucet since money's tight right now. I dug through my junk drawer and found a thick metal paperclip that I bent into a sort of lever shape. I wedged it into the hole where the handle used to be and it actually turns the water on and off now. It looks dumb with a paperclip sticking out of the faucet but it works. Has anyone else fixed a broken handle with something weird like a coin or a staple?
I was staying at a Holiday Inn Express last week and the lampshade on the nightstand kept sliding down the harp. The little plastic fitter was broken off. Rummaged through my bag and used a medium sized binder clip to pinch the shade onto the metal arm. Worked perfectly for the whole 3 night stay. Anyone else have a quick hotel room fix with stuff from their suitcase?
I've been fixing aglets with super glue for years, but my buddy swears by wrapping electrical tape around the frayed end. I tried it on my hiking boots last week, and the tape lasted maybe 3 miles before peeling off. But he says I wrapped it too loose. What's your take for keeping laces from unraveling without buying new ones? I'm starting to think tape fails faster than glue in wet weather.
My dining table has had this annoying wobble for months. I was going to buy a pack of those rubber furniture pads, then saw a chopstick in my takeout drawer. I snapped it to the right height, dabbed super glue on both ends, and wedged it under the short leg. It's been rock solid for two weeks now. Has anyone else found a random kitchen item that saved a piece of furniture?
I always thought duct tape was duct tape, you know? But last week my garden hose split right at the connector, and I had nothing but a roll of Gorilla tape in the junk drawer. I wrapped it around 3 times, figuring it'd leak again in an hour. Nope - it's been 6 days of daily watering and it's still holding strong, no drips at all. The rubberized backing actually bonds to wet surfaces, which I never believed until I saw it. Has anyone else had a "this ain't gonna work" fix that surprised you?
Picked up this old brass desk lamp for cheap, worked fine for like a week. Then the little metal switch tab snapped clean off inside the base. I dug through my junk drawer, grabbed a paperclip, bent it into a tiny L shape, and glued it onto the leftover nub with superglue. It clicks on and off now like nothing happened. Anybody else got a hack for fixing finicky switches without buying new parts?
Was messing with my toaster last Tuesday because the lever wouldn't stay down. Grabbed a paperclip to poke at the mechanism while it was still plugged in like an idiot. Sudden spark shot out and melted a chunk of the plastic shell before I yanked the cord. Ended up using super glue and a piece of an old plastic butter container to patch the hole. It works fine now but holy crap that could have gone way worse. Anyone else had a close call with cheap fixes that almost went sideways?
Last Tuesday my dryer stopped heating up mid cycle. I was about to call a repair guy but then I remembered this forum. I watched a video on how the thermal fuse works and turns out mine was blown. I didn't feel like spending $15 on a new one so I looked through my junk drawer. Found a paperclip and some zip ties from an old computer build. I used the paperclip to bypass the fuse just to test if that was the issue and the heat kicked right back on. Then I zip tied the paperclip in place so it wouldn't touch anything metal. I know it's janky but my laundry has been dry for a week now without buying anything. Has anyone else done a sketchy bypass like this that actually held up for months?
I always thought those page yield numbers on printers were a joke. My HP LaserJet 1020 from 2008 finally gave out last week after hitting 12,000 pages. That's triple the 4,000 page rating it came with. I kept it alive with nothing but duct tape on the paper tray and a random gear I pulled from a broken VCR. Has anyone else had a workhorse like that outlast its specs by this much?